


Unshattered

by HauntedAutomaton



Series: Inspired by Art [6]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, F/M, Gen, Rose Quartz is Pink Diamond Theory, Spoilers for Episode: s05e18 A Single Pale Rose
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-08
Updated: 2018-05-08
Packaged: 2019-05-04 00:30:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14580996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HauntedAutomaton/pseuds/HauntedAutomaton
Summary: Steven has a lot to process. Too much to do on his own. He tried to wait until morning, but he needed his Jam Bud.(Required Viewing: Steven Universe, A Single Pale Rose)





	Unshattered

    The lighthouse stood pale under the starlight. Its silent watch over the twin voids of sky and sea was somehow undisturbed. Even now, after all that had happened. Over the crest of the spire’s roof, a figure leapt, and descended.

    Connie slid off of Steven’s back as he touched down, and she laid back on the worn slat shingles. She was quiet, saved for a windswept sigh.

    Steven pulled his knees up to his chin, then, after a moment in the cool night air, tucked them under his pink hoodie.

    The girl saw her friend retreating into his ‘bubble’. When he had called her it was already after her bedtime, so she knew something was up.

    “Hey...” he had said.

    “Hey...” she responded, not bothering to remind him of the time.

    “Can you come over?”

    “...Let me...Yeah. Yeah I can.”

    “...Are you sure?”

    “Yes. Send Lion.”

    For a moment she had debated sneaking out, but thought better of it. Instead, she simply knocked on her parents’ door, and told them she was going. Her mother almost protested, but the girl reassured her.

    “I’m not taking my sword. It’s just...Steven...”

    “Go,” Her father said. “Call us if you need anything.”

    So now she found herself atop the lighthouse, and she could feel her friend shrinking besider her. Curling up, and disappearing.

    She plunged her hand into the folds of his hoodie, and grabbed his hand tight.

    He looked to her, forlorn and exhausted, and sighed.

    “Thanks, for coming to see me.”

    Connie almost giggled. “Of course. Now...what’s up?”

    She felt the boy’s other hand move over his gem.

    “...Do you want to be Stevonnie? So you can just...think it?”

    He shook his head. “No, but thanks...unless you want to-”

    “No! No, it’s fine, however you want...take your time, I’m here.”

    The boy nodded, and sat a bit longer before he found the words.

    “I found out some more stuff about my...about Rose Quartz.” he said.

    “Yeah?” Connie tried not to let her feelings of foreboding into her voice.

    “I had to go into Pearl’s mind to find out but...” his hand gripped his navel.

    “Rose Quartz...is...was...Pink Diamond...”

    The silence weighed on them for a moment.

    “I KNEW IT!!!” The quiet was shattered by a voice from below.

    “Ronaldo!?” Steven called out.

    “Your mother  _ was _ a matriarch of the Diamond Authority! I have been vindicated! I have to post about this-”

    Connie’s deadpan interruption cut him off. “Ronaldo, leave now or I’m going to come down there and start dislocating things.”

    “...Yes ma’am.”

    The pair on the roof listened as Ronaldo packed his things and trudged down the tower stairs. Connie was secretly glad the conspiracy theorist had cut some of the tension.

    “So,” she finally continued, still holding her friend’s hand, “how does...that make you feel?” she seemed confused at her own words, but it was all she could muster.

    Steven couldn’t prevent the few chuckles that came out, but when he responded it was still rather solemn. “I don’t...know yet. I mean, at least this time it’s not like the gems were hiding from me...at least not on purpose.”

    “How do you mean?”

    “It’s like Pearl physically  _ couldn’t _ tell me. I think it’s cus the order came from Pink Diamond herself, so it was like, hardwired into her or something that she literally couldn’t talk about it.”

    Connie nodded. “That kinda makes sense, especially if gems really are artificial,” She quickly added, “Not to bring up my crazy theories in the middle of your stuff-”

    Steven smiled, “No, it’s fine, it might actually help make sense of all this.”

    “...Or at least be a distraction,” Connie offered.

    The boy nodded.

    Connie leaned back, but wore a puzzled expression. “Wait, does that mean that Pearl, like,” she made a disgusted face at the word, “‘belonged to’ your mom?”

    “...Yeah.”

    “That’s...”

    “Kinda messed up, yeah,” Steven finished.

    The dreaded silence returned, but not for long.

    “I guess it explains some things...” the boy said.

    “No, Steven, you can’t,” Connie struggled. “Pearl really does love you. She cares about you. For real.”

    The boy’s eyes grew dark as he looked down at nothing in particular. “I thought you were the one who said they were artificial...”

    “So!?” Connie shot back. “Your dad feels the full weight of millions, no, billions of years of evolutionary imperative that  _ make _ him want to care about you, but does that mean that him loving you is any less important!?”

    Steven studied her face for a few moments.

    “...Mom and I had this talk when I was seven,” Connie explained, a little embarrassed. “I was worried everything I did was just a product of genetic programing and we had a whole discussion- look it’s not important right now,” her hand grew warm in Steven’s as she got flustered.

    The boy found his smile again, and just sat for a moment looking at her.

    He finally spoke. “You’re a nerd.”

    Connie’s jaw dropped in mock surprise. “How dare you.” she said, on the verge of a giggle.

    Steven leaned against her. “You’re right,” he admitted. “I know you are, I know Pearl really cares about me, just because I’m me. I’ve always known that...” he let the words fall away.

    “Still though,” Connie continued, laying her head on the boy’s shoulder. “All that time...Pearl felt that way about her...did she just...use her?” The trepidation in Connie’s voice betrayed her worry that she was going to far.

    “I don’t...” Steven began. His voice unsure, but his tone reassuring. “I don’t think so. The one thing everyone agrees on about mom is what she wanted. She wanted change. She wanted people, and gems, to be able to be different. I think that’s what she wanted for Pearl to.”

    “Yeah...” Connie sighed, looking up into the sky. “I must have been hard, even if she loved Pearl back...actually...especially if she loved Pearl. To want her to be her own gem, but to also want her love and devotion...” She sat up onto her elbows to face Steven. “I mean, it’s not like you can make someone change, right?” She felt the boy’s hand tightened around his gem, and she immediately realized her mistake.

    “Is that...” Steven’s voiced hitched.

    “No...Steven...” Connie tried.

    “Is that what I am? A way to make the gems change?” For the first time tonight there was a tear in his eye. “If she wanted the Earth to move on, to grow, maybe she felt like she needed to not be here...Is that what I am?” Connie felt his hand moving erratically around his gem. “Am I just some part of Pink Diamond’s plan for...I don’t know!”

    The girl lifted Steven’s hoodie to see him clawing unconsciously at his gem. Thin red scrapes of blood radiated outward from the stone from his hand scratching at his flesh. He was gripping the gem, pulling it, distenting his stomach outward.

    Connie’s arms flew around him, breaking his hold on the stone, and she held on tight. “Steven! I don’t know! I don’t care!” She pulled back to look at him, tears flowing. “I don’t care why you’re here, Steven, I’m just glad you are.”

    The two of them held on to each other atop the lone spire.

* * *

 

    After a while of just sitting and swaying slightly in time with the distant waves, Steven finally spoke again.

    “Thanks...sorry.”

    “You’re ok...right?”

    “Yeah.”

    “Good.”

    The pair continued to sway. Slower, with less concern for the timing of the tide, and more thought to one another.

    “I guess,” Connie began again, but halted.”

    “What?” Steven said.

    “It’s nothing, it’s dumb.”

    “Good, then I need to hear it,” he said with a chuckle.

    “Well...does this mean that like...the Diamonds are your aunts or something?” Connie asked with a little cringe, hoping it wasn’t too far.

    Steven immediately set her at ease by bursting into a fit of her favorite kind of laughter.

    “Oh man-” he said, catching his breath, “Uncle Andy is gonna  _ hate _ this next reunion!”

    It was the pair of them cackling now.

* * *

 

    As the tide started to wash back out, Steven felt a sudden wave of exhaustion. He had been weathering these waves a lot more recently, but this one didn’t feel so bad for some reason. Then he felt the deep, rhythmic breathing next to him, and knew why.

    “Connie,” his whispered.

    “Hmmph?” she chirped and blinked as she tried to awaken, a little like Cat Steven, Steven thought.

    “It’s late, lemme take you home.”

    Connie tried not to think about the line of questioning she would be receiving at the breakfast table tomorrow. “‘Kay...” was about all she could muster aloud.

    She felt herself flying once again, as Steven carried her to the ground. He set her feet beneath her, and she tried to adjust to the sudden impossible task of having to walk.

    “You gonna be ok?” she managed, as she held onto him for balance.

    “Yeah, I think we’ll be fine,” Steven said. “The gems need some time, too.”

    “Garnet didn’t know?” Connie said, a little more awake.

    The boy shook his head. “No, it’s just gonna take some time.”

    “Let me know if you need anything.”

    “Thanks...I will...”

    The pair shared a final smile for the night, as Connie disappeared atop Lion into a circle of light.

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed something in particular about this, or thought of something that might work better in a spot or two, please let me know! I'm trying to get better, so all comments/criticisms welcome. I'd love to hear from you!


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